PALM CITY, Fla. — Corridor of Fame third baseman George Brett admitted he didn’t like Reggie Jackson very a lot once they performed in opposition to one another. Maybe that had one thing to do with Brett’s Kansas Metropolis Royals assembly Jackson’s New York Yankees in consecutive American League Championship Collection within the late Nineteen Seventies.
Born from that rivalry was mutual respect and ultimately a friendship that started when Brett was inducted into the Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Fame in 1999 and entered a tight-knit fraternity that included Jackson. So when Brett was invited to take part within the star-studded Mr. October Basis Superstar Golf Basic on Monday on the Floridian Nationwide Golf Membership, he didn’t hesitate.
“There’s not many individuals I’d stand up at 4 within the morning in Phoenix, Ariz., and fly to Dallas, after which fly right here and play golf [for], however I’d undoubtedly do it for Reggie,” Brett mentioned.
Brett wasn’t alone. He joined fellow Corridor of Famers Jeff Bagwell, Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr., plus a slew of different celebrities from the sports activities and leisure world to play golf and lift cash for Jackson’s “Mr. October STEM 101 program,” which gives Twenty first-century STEM career-minded curriculum, bodily and digital assets, in addition to skilled improvement, to organize college students for STEM jobs within the trades, engineering, manufacturing, and medical fields.
“It’s overwhelming for me, actually,” mentioned Jackson, an advisor to the Astros and proprietor Jim Crane, who owns the Floridian. “It brings a lot pleasure and smiles to my coronary heart, but tears on the identical time. Tears of pleasure simply being overwhelmed and recognizing that and to be pleased about the those that have confirmed up right here to have the ability to give assist to our youth.”
Jackson wasn’t the one Yankees playoff legend taking part within the occasion. Jeter, who captained the Bronx Bombers to 4 World Collection championships in 5 seasons from 1996-2000, mentioned Jackson has been attempting to get him to return to the match for years, however he hasn’t had a lot confidence in his golf sport just lately. That didn’t cease him from nailing a drive down the center of the golf green on the tenth tee.
“I’ve embarrassed myself many occasions, however by no means intentional,” Jeter joked. “Once I come out right here, I’m just about deliberately embarrassing myself. I’m pleased to return on the market to assist Reggie. There’s been quite a lot of athletes, entertainers, celebrities who’ve come out right here to assist his trigger, which is necessary. The athletic group appears to rally round one another, and Reggie deserves quite a lot of credit score.”
Along with baseball Corridor of Famers, entertainers Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Travis Scott, NFL Corridor of Famers Marcus Allen, Jerome Bettis, Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Warren Moon, Joe Namath and Terrell Owens participated, together with present Astros gamers Kyle Tucker, Lance McCullers Jr., Michael Brantley and Jeremy Peña — the 2022 World Collection MVP.
“I believed it was going to be particular once I go there and I see Joe Namath and all the opposite massive canine,” 50 Cent mentioned. “That is actually thrilling for me personally.”
Final yr, Jackson’s match raised greater than $600,000 for STEM programming in faculties situated in Oakland, St. Louis, Detroit, and the Bronx. The hope for this yr’s match was to boost greater than $1 million to learn packages in Houston, Pittsburgh and West Palm Seaside, Fla.
“To begin with, it’s necessary that all of us use our platform for being athletes, entertainers, what have you ever, to assist these individuals in want,” Schmidt mentioned. “Reggie is a positive instance of a man that makes use of his and for a very long time, he’s been doing that. He’s a superb good friend. Any time I will help him, I’m glad to do this. He does the identical for me.
“And he actually places on an occasion like this primary class. Plenty of very lucky persons are concerned due to his connections in California and New York. He’s only a positive man. He appears out for all his buddies which are right here. Yearly round this time, I sit up for coming to this match.”
